The present invention relates to error correcting coding and decoding. More specifically it relates to correcting symbols in error in cyclic codes.
Error correction of digital codes is widely used in telecommunications and in transfer of information such as reading of data from storage media such as optical disks. Detection of errors can take place by analyzing symbols that were added to the information symbols during coding. The relation between information symbols and the added coding symbols is determined by a rule. If after reception of the symbols such relation between the symbols as provided by the rule no longer holds, it can be determined that some of the symbols are different or in error compared to the original symbols. Such a relationship may be a parity rule or a syndrome relationship. If the errors do not exceed a certain number within a defined number of symbols it is possible to identify and correct these errors. Known methods of creating error correcting codes and correction of errors are provided by BCH codes and the related Reed-Solomon (RS) codes. These are known as (p,k) codes having codewords of p n-valued symbols of which k symbols are information symbols.
Error-correction in (p,k) codes usually involves locating symbols in error, determining the magnitude of an error and determining the correct value or state of a symbol. Calculations in (p,k) codes such as RS codes can be time and/or resource consuming and may add to a coding latency.
Accordingly methods that can correct a symbol known to be in error in a faster or easier way are required.